After the Halloween party
by Silverlight000
Summary: What happened the night after Kat's Halloween party? What now?
1. The night after the party

Kat woke up with a start at the sound of a loud thud in another room. Shortly after, she heard the sound of shattering glass, followed by gales of laughter from the "Ghostly Trio."

She moaned, pulling the pillow over her head.

Ghostly Trio. What a lame name. Why oh why couldn't Dad just live in a normal house with normal neighbors and have a normal life?

She was usually a morning person, but this morning she was hoping to be able to sleep late. Last night was probably the funnest, freakiest, and weirdest night of her life. Her very first Halloween party ended early, no thanks to the "Ghostly Trio," and Dad was acting...different. In a good way. She didn't know what happened to him. Maybe it was the accident where Casper helped him out with the Lazarus and all, but she sensed a change in him. It was like before Mom died. He was _happy._ And that made Kat happy.

She, Casper and Dad danced all night. It was weird, but cool. It reminded her of when Mom used to put on the Beach Boys and dance all goofy around the apartment. Kat missed her so much.

She jumped again as there was another loud crash, and plaster from the ceiling flaked onto her head. She sat up angrily. Guess she wouldn't be getting to sleep late this Saturday.

Grumbling, she got out of bed and walked down the hall towards the bathroom. She yelped loudly as Casper suddenly appeared in front of her, grinning, his hands behind his back.

"Hi, Kat," he said shyly.

"Oh, hey Casper."

"Uh...Did you sleep well?" he asked, grinning at the floor.

"Yeah," she smiled, trying to get past him. He quickly whipped in front of her again.

"Hey, Kat...I-I had a good time last night. It was a great party, huh?"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool." She tucked a wayward hair behind her ear, glancing at the bathroom.

"Um, I have a surprise for you," he said, blushing. She raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Let me guess," she said, "You brought me some roses?"

His face fell. " Hey, how did you know that?"

"Well, you kind of can't hide stuff behind your back when you're see-through," she chuckled.

"Oh yeah, heheh. I forgot," he chuckled. He held out the big bouquet to her. "For you."

"Thanks, Casper. You're so sweet," she smiled, taking them.

He chuckled again, smiling at her. She stood smiling back awkwardly for a moment, then slipped passed him down the hall. He followed close behind, gazing at her adoringly. She turned.

"Um, Casper?"

"Yeah, Kat?"

"I kind of have to go to the bathroom now."

"Oh! Heheh, sorry. Ok, I'll take these down to the kitchen for you then. See you at breakfast! I'm making your favorite. Blueberry waffles!" He swiftly scooped the roses from her hand and flew into the ground, absent mindedly smashing them to bits.

Kat stood over wrecked pile of pink petals, stems, and leaves. She sighed, shaking her head. She was afraid of this.

Last night was like one of those warped dreams she sometimes got whenever she'd eat one of Dad's crazy tuna fish hoagies with peanut butter sauce. All she wanted was to have a nice party and make some new friends. Some of the kids at school were jerks, but not all of them. There was that red-haired girl Emily. She seemed nice. And that funny guy with the glasses, Tyler. And then there was Vic...

She knew she was supposed to be mad at him. He and that snot-nosed Amber girl tried to ruin her party, according to Casper. But Kat was like her mother in the fact that she was a very good judge of character. She had a feeling that Vic wasn't a bad person.

Kat just wanted to have a fun night. Kind of sucked that Vic decided to stand her up and play that lame joke, but it wasn't really that big a deal. It was actually kind of funny. She was just disappointed that she wouldn't have anyone to dance with.

But then in the middle of everything, this random cute guy comes up to her and asks to dance with her. All the other girls were staring at him. No one had ever seen him in class before. And then things got weirder and weirder.

It was Casper...an older, cuter, more alive version, but still Casper. And then he kissed her.

It was kind of sweet. Kat guessed that it was his first kiss ever. She was flattered he wanted to have it with her. The only problem would be what comes after.

See, Kat had a secret that no one knew, ESPECIALLY not her father. Last night wasn't her first kiss.

Dad was so clueless sometimes. And it was times like these Kat wished her mom was still alive, so she could have someone to talk to about these sort of things without the person freaking out. But why else would she be so upset about leaving Santa Fe?

Back in Santa Fe, Kat got her first kiss. She even had a boyfriend. Almost.

His name was Kyle, and he played football for the school team, the Cactus Schooners. Kat had become friends with his sister Lisa, and one day he asked her to come to his game. After the game, he gave her his class ring and asked her to be his steady girlfriend. Then he kissed her. She almost fainted.

It was so romantic.

Then four days later, Dad announced that they were going to be moving to Maine. Kat had to give Kyle his ring back, and he was pretty mad at her about it, and she spent last period in the girls bathroom crying her eyes out. But what could she do? Dad decided to take the job in Maine, and that was that. He didn't even realize that he was ruining her life.

Her first kiss was something she would never forget. And even though she knew she would get over Kyle pretty quick (they only knew each other for two weeks, but oh! Those were the best two weeks ever!)... she'd never forget that kiss behind the bleachers.

But this was Casper's first kiss. And, well...

Kat washed her face and stared into the mirror. She was a pretty girl. She got her mother's big smile and heart-shaped face, and her father's nose. Her eyes were a hazel that was almost green, and all the girls at school (the nice ones, anyway) always complimented her thick, brown hair.

Boys liked her. And (except for Kyle..._sigh_) she didn't get excited about that. She always tried to decided of she truly liked them back first. Her mother always told her to be true to her heart. So she was.

Kat was a very practical girl. When your mom dies and your dad gets kind of nutty, you grow up pretty quick. She knew Casper had a huge crush on her. And while it'd be cool if he was alive, she knew that there would be no possible way that she could ever like him like that.

For one thing, there was the age difference. She was almost fourteen. He died when he was eleven, and he'll be eleven forever.

Then there was the whole being dead thing. Yeah, it's kind of hard to go steady with a guy if he'd dead.

She shouldn't have let him kiss her, but it was such a weird night, and so much had happened. Her dad died, came back to life, she was FLOATING for crying out loud!

As she dressed, she wondered what she was going to do about the sweet little ghost who had taken a shine to her. She thought he was a great friend, and after all he did to save her dad's life, how could she let him down?

She walked back into the hall towards the stairs and again saw the little pile of broken roses still on the carpet, and thought of him toiling away downstairs in the kitchen getting her breakfast. She felt a pang of guilt.

This was definitely not going to be easy. But she couldn't string him along. She had to set him straight and fast, before he got any wrong ideas. It's what Mom would have wanted her to do.


	2. Waiting for his new girl

**DISCLAIMER: I forgot to do this earlier. I do not own these characters, however it is my goal to remain as true to them as possible. :)**

Casper sat in his playroom patiently. He glanced at the alarm clock for the fifth time. Twenty more minutes...

This day seemed to go by _so slowly._

He didn't really understand why Kat had made such a big deal about going to school by herself. It wasn't like he was going to let anybody see him or anything. He was really good at being invisible, and he wouldn't cause any trouble. She wouldn't even have to talk to him if she didn't want to.

He just wanted to be near her.

He sighed, stretching out on the ground among the rest of his toys. He was playing with his rubber ball and jacks set. He knew how the game was supposed to go, but he invented his own game that he liked much better. He could play for hours.

He spun each jack like a top. They swirled and wobbled, pirouetting across the ground like little silver ballerinas. He loved watching them all spin together. As they spun and twirled, they almost seemed alive, deciding which way to go. This way or that.

But eventually they would lose momentum.

Every jack eventually gave up the dance and stopped spinning. Eventually died. Stood still.

All except one. There was always the very last jack that would hold out longer than the others, even if that meant dancing all alone.

Casper placed his chin on his hands, watching enraptured as the last little tin dancer spun and spun. It just didn't want to give up. He could relate.

He guessed that Dr. Harvey would have something to say about that. About the symbolism of the spinning jack in Casper's mind resembling his own reluctance to "give up the dance of his old life" and cross over, like he was supposed to do.

Or something like that.

Casper didn't really know about all that psycho mumbo jumbo. He just knew he always loved it when the jack just wouldn't stop spinning. It made him feel..._good._

Dr. Harvey was supposed to be his uncles' therapist. But sometimes, if he wasn't too busy, Casper would try to get the chance to talk to him about things. Certain things that he couldn't really talk to anyone else about.

Like the things he remembered from his life. The way his father tried so hard to make that machine to bring him back to life, so that Casper could grow up one day. And somehow that made Casper feel very guilty.

It was nice to have someone who was willing to listen.

That morning after Kat had gone off to school ( making Casper _swear_ that he wouldn't follow her), Dr. Harvey had asked to talk to Casper in private.

Casper agreed wondering if he was in trouble. If maybe Dr. Harvey saw that he had kissed his daughter and was mad about it. Sometimes, when a girl gets a new boyfriend, it takes time for the girl's dad to get used to the idea. But Casper figured Dr. Harvey was such a nice man. It wouldn't take him too long.

But that morning's talk turned out to be different than Casper expected. Dr. Harvey wanted to ask him weird questions that Casper didn't really know how to answer.

_Why _did he chose _Kat_ to dance with, when there were so many other things he could have done with this single chance to be alive again? He could have eaten a real meal again, gone outside to walk under the moonlight again. But instead, he just wanted to be with Kat.

_Why?_

To Casper, that was a silly question. Kat was the most wonderful person in the world! She was smart, funny, and the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Who wouldn't want to spend their last few moments alive with a girl like her?

But Dr. Harvey didn't seem satisfied with this answer. He wrote a bunch of scribbling on his notepad.

"Casper, would it be alright if I told you what I think?"

Casper nodded, but for some reason the steady gaze the therapist gave him over the rim of his glasses made him anxious.

Harvey spoke slowly, writing in his notepad all the while. He said that Casper's "perceived feelings" for Kat were really another symbolism of his refusal to let go of the self concept of himself as a young man growing up and coming of age.

Casper wasn't accepting the fact that he wasn't a young boy growing up anymore. And that the sooner he could accept that, the sooner he could move on and cross over.

"Casper, please listen. Your father wanted so much for you to live on in this world, and without intending to, he put a great deal of pressure on you to do so by building the Lazarus. You are refusing to accept your death in an attempt to live up to his expectations. But I'm here to tell you, that isn't fair _to you._

"_Casper, you're not alive. And there's nothing wrong with that."_

Casper felt very strange. He backed away from Dr. Harvey's desk, fear and confusion crumpling his face.

He didn't feel like talking anymore.

Without a word, he vanished.

All that day, Dr. Harvey wandered about the mansion, calling for him.

Casper heard him, but wouldn't appear.

He didn't understand why, but what Dr. Harvey had said to him hurt and frightened him terribly. He wasn't _mad_ at Dr. Harvey. Not really. But all the same, it was better not to talk to him for a while.

He went up to his playroom to find his jacks set, and took pleasure in them all the rest of that day.

The ghost's soft blue eyes watched the little silver dancer that outlasted all of the others.

_Don't give up_, he told it in his mind. _Don't you dare give up that spinning._

The old grandfather clock in the downstairs hall chimed three o'clock. Kat would be coming home any minute!

Casper flew into the kitchen, careful to stay invisible in case Dr. Harvey was still poking about. He wanted to make his new girlfriend a special after school snack. Then maybe she'll play cowboys and Indians with him in the back yard if he helped her with her homework.

"Casper! Casper, please come out. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you!" Dr. Harvey wandered into the kitchen.

Casper froze, not knowing what to do.

Thinking he was alone, Dr. Harvey sat down at the table, rubbing his temples tiredly.

"James, you big-mouthed idiot. You only hurt the poor kid, and you're supposed to be _helping_ him," he muttered to himself.

He rested his head in his forearm on the table.

_Poor Dr. Harvey._ Casper bit his lip, making himself visible. He picked up the fresh carafe and hesitantly hovered over to the table.

"Coffee?" he offered.

Dr. Harvey looked up, startled. He smiled.

"I'd love some. Casper, I'm sorry about all that I said before, I just..No hard feelings?"

"Naaahh," Casper grinned. Then he happily busied himself about with Kat's snack.


	3. Monday at school

The lunchroom was loud, noisy and smelled of hot lunches and sour milk. Kat stood at the entrance with her tray, looking about herself uncertainly. Would anyone let her sit with them?

She walked slowly down the aisle of tables, the other junior high kids laughing and joking. She jumped as a skinny boy with a face covered in pimples was fell from the edge of his seat and fell sprawling on the ground, laughing his head off. She stepped around him.

There were no empty seats with friendly faces.

It was the first Monday after the Halloween party. All that weekend, Kat had hung out with her Dad and Casper. He showed her how to play chess, and took her to a secret cave he knew of in the cliffs. She had fun, glad to have at least _one_ friend in Friendship, Maine. Even if he was a ghost.

Of course, he spent the better half of the time just staring goo-goo eyes at her. She was going to talk to him about that. Eventually...

For now, she just wanted to get herself settled in her new school. She made Casper promise that he wouldn't follow her.

She spotted an empty bench on the far side of the caf. She sat down meekly by herself.

"Well if it isn't Miss Necrophelia. How's the dead boyfriend?" Amber stood behind her, tray in hand. Four girls whispered and giggled behind her.

"These seats are _taken. _Sorry." Amber flipped her golden hair.

"I was just..." Kat began.

"Leaving?" said a girl named Ashley.

"Don't you have a séance to go to or something?" chirped Courtney.

"Sure she does. It's the only way she can get a date," giggled Brittany. The girls all laughed.

Kat picked up her tray and left, her face burning with embarrassment. She ate her lunch alone outside in the school steps. At that moment, she wished she hadn't made Casper promise to stay home. At least she would have someone to talk to.

_Miss Necrophelia. That's so creative, Amber. _

The rest of the day was torture. When she walked down the hall, people seemed to be whispering and staring at her everywhere. Someone was made kissing sounds at her, but when she turned around she couldn't tell who it was. She made her way toward her locker.

"Miss Kissy Kissy Dead Lips!" someone cat-called. People laughed and stared. Pointed and whispered.

Tears began to fall down her cheeks despite herself, as she struggled to open the stupid locker. She felt everyone's eyes on her.

Suddenly a fist pounded the locker and it popped open. It was Vic. He smiled hesitantly.

"Oh hi Vic," she muttered, trying to hide her tears. "I forgot about that...uh, thanks." Sniffling, she hurried to get her books and escape.

"You know, you shouldn't let them see you crying. It'll only make them meaner," he said softly.

"Gee, thanks for the advice, Dear Abby." She hastily shut her locker door and fumbled for the lock.

"Kat, wait..." he said, placing a hand on her lock. "Can...Can I talk to you for a second?"

She hugged her books, staring up at him defiantly. "What do you want?"

The boy looked anguished, struggling for the right words.

"Look...I just...I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened at your party. It was a stupid joke, and we were jerks. Amber...has this way of talking me into doing dumb stuff and...I feel real bad about what we did.

"See, the thing is Amber is supposed to be my girlfriend. But she gets so crazy sometimes. I don't think I really want to go steady with her anymore, because she can be really mean and stupid, you know? And I hate it...I guess what I'm trying to say is, I think you're really cool and...I actually thought it would be fun to go with you to the Halloween party for real and... I want to be friends. I get it if you don't want to be, though. But I just thought I should tell you that I'm really sorry."

Kat lowered her eyes and said nothing.

"Well...I guess that's all I was gonna say. Bye," he said sadly, turning to go.

"Vic, wait."

He turned.

"It's ok," she said finally. "It really wasn't that big a deal I guess. And..." she swallowed hard, color mounting her cheeks, " I-I think you're really cool, too."

He beamed at her. "Really?"

"Yeah."

They stood, smiling at each other for a long moment.

"Ok, well, I guess I'll see you in class."

"Ok. Later, Kat."

"Later."

Kat floated to science lab on cloud nine.

After the last bell rang, Kat strolled across the school lawn thinking about her conversation with Vic. She was so busy daydreaming, she didn't realize that she was walking right into someone until it was too late.

The girl's books and papers went flying everywhere.

"Omigosh, I'm so sorry," Kat stammered, struggling to pick them up. When she looked she recognized it was Emily, red-haired girl from home room.

"Oh hi, Emily."

"Kat! Oh I wanted to tell you I loved your party! It was sooooo much better than having it at Amber's," said Emily. She wrinkled her freckled nose. "Amber's party's are so boring."

"Thanks," Kat smiled, handing her the last of her books.

"Everyone's talking about that cool projection special effect thingy you did at the end. It was so awesome! That ghost looked so _real_!"

Kat twittered uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah. Pretty convincing, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll say. Hey, listen. My birthday party's this weekend, and I'm going to have a slumber party, girls only. Amy and Letty are going. You should come."

"Sure! That sounds like fun," said Kat.

"Cool! See you tomorrow!"

As Kat made her way back to Whipstaff, she thought that maybe things would be all right after all.


End file.
